


(Not a) Sacrifice Play

by XOLove47



Series: Agents of PROMPTS [6]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Bus Kids - Freeform, F/M, Framework AU, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-10-13 14:53:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10515993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XOLove47/pseuds/XOLove47
Summary: With their mission accomplished in the Framework, Jemma and Daisy are ready to go back to the real world and save their friends. But when their plan (predictably) goes up in flames, their lives are on the line, again.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I was prompted by an anon on Tumblr with "When Jemma told Daisy that dying in the framework would mean death in their world, it felt like a clue that something awful is gonna happen before they make it home. Could you write something where Daisy is mortally wounded just before the team arrives at the backdoor?" and this was the result!

_Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong._

Murphy’s law might as well be SHIELD’s unofficial motto at this point. They were the living embodiment of _situation normal, all fucked up_ , so really, Jemma should have expected this latest snafu.

Daisy and Jemma had managed to navigate this upside down world, with Hydra, appearances by old friends and foes, and the fact that the people that they were trying to save were living completely different lives, with seemingly completely different personalities. Jemma had been distraught when she realized that this Fitz was so different from _her_ Fitz, so cold.

There were times when they wanted to give up, but Daisy & Jemma persevered. They were able to break through to the team, to Fitz and find out where AIDA was keeping their bodies. All that was left for Daisy and Jemma was to get back to the backdoor Jemma had programmed and back to reality. Coulson and Mack were back at the safe house the Resistance had set up, but now that he had his memories back, Fitz had insisted on coming with them ( _together or not at all_ , he had said).

Just when they thought they were in the clear, everything predictably went to to shit. Hydra agents had somehow tracked them down to the graveyard and opened fire. Now, crouched behind a headstone, Jemma wished she had convinced Fitz to stay at the safe house. 

From behind her she heard Fitz yell, “JEMMA! Behind--”

But before she could even turn around, Jemma heard a crack of a gun going off.

With her experience and training, Daisy’s instincts kicked in quicker. She leapt at Jemma and tackled her to ground, shielding her from harm.

Jemma popped up and returned fire on the agent that had gotten the drop on them, taking him out.

The last agent successful down for the count, the threat seemed to be neutralized. “Everyone alright?” Jemma asked tentatively.

“I’m good,” Fitz replied.

Jemma breathed a sigh of relief before calling out, “Daisy?”

“Over here,” Daisy groaned as she tried to get to her feet, but she crumpled back to the ground.

“That’s not good,” Daisy said, staring at her blood covered hands. Jemma rushed to her side and watched in horror bright crimson spot grew on her abdomen.

“Daisy!” Jemma said, panicked. “You’ve been shot.”

“Well, that sucks,” she replied. “You said, I die in here, I die in the real world, right?”

“That’s irrelevant because you’re not dying-- not in here and certainly not out there,” Jemma insisted, as she evaluated the wound and applied pressure.  “I won’t let you.”

“ _We_ won’t you,” Fitz chimed in.

“I don’t think you guys get a say. This might be the end of my story, but it isn’t the end of yours. You guys will get your happy ending, I just know it,” Daisy croaked out. “So you need to go. Save the team, save Fitz. Be happy.”

“Stop being ridiculous. So will you-- because we’re both getting out of here,” Jemma said determinedly. “Fitz! Help me get her up. It’s just a little bit further, we can carry her the rest of the way. If we get back to reality before she bleeds out, I think she’ll be alright.”

The pair pulled Daisy up to her feet-- she was practically unconscious at this point, so they half carried, half dragged her the last 25 yards to the backdoor. Setting her down gently next to the grave, Jemma checked Daisy’s pulse. It was thready and weak, but there.

Jemma spun around to see Fitz gaping at the ground, visibly shaken, “That gravestone has _your_ name on it.”

“Well spotted. I needed a fixed location I could easily find in here for the backdoor. And considering I’m clearly very much alive, how about you help me move this very heavy slab of marble so I can access the controls and make sure Daisy stays that way, too?”  Jemma huffed, stress and frustration plainly written on her face.

Fitz quickly leapt to help her, “Right, yeah-- sorry.” Together, they slid the slab over, revealing a hidden compartment with a control panel inside.

“Once we’re gone, you need to get back to the safe house straight away and stay out of sight. Who knows what else AIDA is capable of,” Jemma said, scanning the graveyard for any lingering assailants, as she typed into the hidden keypad.  “But I’m coming to get you. And I _will_ save you, I promise.”

“I know you will,” Fitz nodded, locking eyes with her. “Because I was wrong before-- not even the cosmos are strong enough to keep us apart.”

Eyes shimmering with unshed tears, Jemma pulled Fitz in for a desperate, hasty kiss that was eerily reminiscent of their first-- and the first time he cursed the cosmos. Breaking apart, Jemma laughing weakly, “I swear, you and the bloody cosmos.”

“Yeah, yeah. As much as I’d love to argue about the cosmos again, we’re out of time. Now, go, get Daisy out of here,” Fitz encouraged. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

* * *

The next thing Jemma knew, she was gasping for air as her consciousness merged back with her body. She looked around, disoriented as her brain struggled to make sense of her surroundings, of the tactile sensations it was receiving after days ( _or was it weeks? Or maybe only hours? Time was a funny thing,_ Jemma realized.) of only receiving visual stimulation.

“ _Gracias a Dios_ ,” Yoyo exhaled, slipping back into her native tongue as she rushed to Jemma’s side. “I didn’t know what to do. Daisy’s vitals started going crazy a few minutes ago, but you said not to wake you up no matter what. 

That snapped Jemma back to reality. _Daisy._ She looked down expecting to be covered in blood, but didn’t find any-- a reminder that what they had experienced in the Framework wasn’t real. Unfortunately, Daisy’s distress was _very_ real-- her body was still, peaceful even, but the monitor next to her showed the turmoil within. Her heart was racing and her brain activity was all over the place.

Jemma leapt to her feet, pulling her own VR headset off as she did, “She was shot as we were trying to escape, protecting _me_.” Jemma looked down at her feet, guilt and shame radiating off her.

A number of emotions-- _panic, fear, sympathy_ \-- played out on Yoyo’s face. She hesitated for moment, before saying, “Ah-- but you said if she died in there, she would die out here, no?”

“That was the theory, yes. But I’m not going to let that happen,” Jemma said determinedly. “Besides, I think I got her out in time.” That last part was mostly to herself.

If Yoyo responded, Jemma didn’t hear her. She had gone into doctor mode, if she was going to save Daisy she needed to act fast. Locating a vial of lidocaine and a syringe, Jemma injected the Inhuman with the drug, in hopes of slowing down her racing heart.

Jemma watched the monitors for signs of improvement, but Daisy’s vitals remained unstable. Jemma inwardly cursed and plotted her next move, grabbing the nearby defibrillator. She took a deep steadying breath, as she found herself hovering over someone she cared about, ready to shock their heart, for the second time this year.

“Come on, Daisy. Don’t do this to me,” Jemma said, eyes glistening with unshed tears as she pressed the paddles to Daisy’s chest.

The shock caused Daisy’s back to arch. Jemma’s eyes were glued to monitor, as she kept the paddles at the ready. Slowly, Daisy’s heart settled back into a normal rhythm and the brain activity leveled out. 

Jemma felt some of the tension that had coiled up inside her dissipate. She set the defibrillator back down and

Daisy’s eyes fluttered open and groaned, “Ouch.”

Jemma grabbed her hand and gave it a tight squeeze, “Take it easy. It’s alright.”

Daisy looked at her warily, “Is this real? Like _really_ real? Am I alive?" 

“Yes to all of the above,” Jemma reassured her friend. “It was touch and go there for a bit, but this is real and you are most certainly alive.”

“Then why does it still hurt? It’s not like they were real bullets,” Daisy grimaced as she tried to pull herself up in a seated position.

“Getting shot still has consequences you know, even in a virtual reality. Your mind still felt the trauma-- I expect that it is still trying to compensate. Maybe you’ll remember this pain next time you decide to leap in front of a bullet,” Jemma explained, before continuing softly, “Thank you, by the way. For saving my life.”

“I could say the same to you.”

The pair shared a meaningful look and pulled each other into a hug-- one that radiated warmth and communicated the things they couldn’t bring themselves to say.

“You rest up-- doctor’s orders.” Jemma comforted. “I need to go put phase two into action, so our little trip wasn’t for nothing. And as grateful as I am, when I get back, we’re going to have a serious conversation about curbing your self-sacrificing tendencies.”

“Oh good! Something to look forward to.”

Jemma smiled in spite of herself. Daisy was always ready with a quip, even when narrowly escaping death. But knowing she was going to be alright allowed Jemma to turn her attention back to the other people that still needed to be saved.

“Agent Davis,” Jemma called out. The younger agents weren’t in her line of sight, but she knew they wouldn’t be far. Most likely, they were hovering at what they had deemed a respectful distance.

On cue, the junior agent scrambled out from behind a crate of equipment, “Yes ma’am?”

Jemma rolled her eyes, but let the _ma’am_ pass without comment. She grabbed a piece of paper and hurriedly scribbled a series of numbers down on it, “I need you to scan for this frequency and plot a course to its origin point. It should take us to where AIDA is holding the team.”

Grabbing the paper from Jemma’s hand, Davis muttered another _yes, ma’am_ and ran off in the direction of the Zephyr’s cockpit.

Yoyo sidled back up to her, “So the mission was a success?” Jemma could hear the hope in the other woman’s voice. They both had a lot on the line and the job wasn’t done yet.

“Not yet. Not until they’re home. So, let’s go get our boys,” Jemma said, echoing what Yoyo had told her before entering the Framework.  “I have promises to keep, after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> Anon, whoever you are, I hope you enjoyed! I'm always open for prompts over on tumblr @accio-the-force, so don't be shy! I'm sure I will also be flailing over there when the new episode airs, so come flail with me :)


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